One Judge Down, CBC Radio’s revealing documentary about the shocking circumstances surrounding former Supreme Court of Canada Justice Gerald Le Dain’s abrupt resignation from the court in 1988, is both a sorrowful reflection about how even the most enlightened among us treat mental illness and an eye-opener about misplaced values that still infuse the legal profession.

It’s also a very rare insight into the humanity and workings of our Supreme Court.

That said, the story is a simple one: the lesson, however, is a hard one....